Delinquent Collection Procedures

Motor Vehicle Tax Collections

South Kingstown residents may renew their registration for their vehicles on-line at the State of RI DMV Website unless there are unpaid taxes due to the Town. If there are delinquent taxes due, the State of RI Department of Motor Vehicles registration renewal form will note that there are “Unpaid Taxes in the Town of South Kingstown.” For those with this notation of unpaid taxes who are registering a motor vehicle in the State of RI, an approval stamp on the car registration form by the South Kingstown Tax Collector’s Office is required prior to renewal. If your registration renewal form indicates that you have delinquent taxes due in South Kingstown, please contact the South Kingstown Tax Collector’s office.

Click here for the location and hours of operation of the R.I. Registry of Motor Vehicles. As a reminder, AAA members can renew their automobile registrations at an AAA Office.

Real Estate Tax and Utility Billing Collections

The Town holds an annual tax sale for non-payment of property taxes and sewer billings under the provisions of Rhode Island General Laws §44-9. According to law, the sale is published in the legal section of the South County Independent. The sale is usually held in April. The tax sales are held in the Town Council Chambers at 180 High St., Wakefield, RI. A list of the properties is available in the Tax Collector’s Office in March of each year and listed in the South County Independent for three consecutive weeks prior to the sale.

Property owners are given prior notice of the potential for shut-off of water service where there are delinquent water utility charges rather than collection of this lien through the tax sale process.

Tangible Personal Property Tax Collections

This includes taxes for tangible personal property such as manufactured/mobile homes on leased land and/or commercial property as defined in Rhode Island General Laws, §44-4-10 as all:
• Motors
• Machines
• Equipment
• Fixtures and tools of all sorts however propelled in any:
Factory
Machine shop
Print works
Manufacturing or other establishment of any kind and all:
 Livestock and farming tools on farms
 All fixtures, tools, machinery, livestock, farming tools, goods, wares, merchandise
 And all other tangible personal property except manufacturer's inventory as defined in Rhode Island General Laws, §44-3-3.

The Town of South Kingstown places UCC liens on delinquent property owners for the tangible personal property tax and interest due through the RI Secretary of State’s Office. In addition, the Town has the option to hold a distress sale of tangible properties under the provisions of Rhode Island General Laws, §44-8.

Fire District

Fire District taxes are also due on real estate and personal property but not motor vehicles. These taxes are collected by the individual Fire Districts and not by the Town of South Kingstown. The 3 Fire Districts in the town are: Union Fire District (401-783-0617), Kingston Fire District (401-789-9131) and Indian Lake Shores Fire District (401-932-5538).